Top 10 Fantasy TTRPGs NOT Based on Dungeons & Dragons! (Ep 340)

Looking for something different? Professor DM lists his top TTRPs NOT based on Dungeons & Dragons. All top 10 games and runners up are linked below. Celebrate independent games month by buying good games from good people and sharing this video!

[ToddPutnam]

You know what I am enjoying most about Professor DMs videos lately? It's not a constant stream of crying about how WotC is acting. He gets that they will continue to act this way and the answer is to just go look at countless alternatives that don't have any of this corporate drama. Refreshing. Thank you.

[JoseAngelC]

1:08 Savage Worlds 10
2:02 Symbaroum 9
2:37 Blades in the Dark 8
3:52 Fate of the Norns Ragnarok 7
4:47 the Witcher RPG 6
5:32 Mazes 5
6:21 (Chaosium) 4
7:12 EZD6 3
8:19 Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2
9:35 Shadow of the Demonlord runner-up
9:50 Castle Falkenstein runner-up
10:07 X-treme Dungeon Mastery 1

[theDMsCraft]

Proud to be listed in this group, and thanks to those supporting independent gaming.

[misterwire]

I'd be interested in seeing your favourite games from other genres, Professor.

[Radiotomb]

" 'True Love' is the biggest fantasy of all."
-Deathbringer ⚔

[pervognsen_bitwise]

My favorite non-D&D fantasy game is probably Ars Magica. It's also one of those games that's worth checking out even if you never plan to play it since it has so many neat ideas. Runequest is another favorite; glad to see that on the list.

[jcraigwilliams]

Might be worth noting that Savage Worlds is running their 20th anniversary edition Kickstarter right now. It's the 5th printing of the current edition. Given that the print version has been selling out so much and so hard to find, this is a good way to finally get ahold of it.

Mazes looks intriguing and I like the look of Symbaroum.

[SabbothArt]

I've been obsessed with the Stockholm Kartell catalogue. Mörk Borg, Cy_Borg, and Death In Space have been amazing reads and the rules are so flexible and easy to play.

[blainetaggart]

EZ D6 is awesome. The free form magic system scares the hell out of me, but in good way. Keeps me on my toes as a game master. An excellent game for creative players. This independence indie games month is awesome. I can't wait so see what else will be featured.

[hirshel]

Savage Worlds is great!
5e was my first system in 2018 and i picked up interest in Savage Worlds around 2021, and ran my first session using the Dead Lands setting the following year. Very fun, snappy, and down right brutal combat. 👍 Looking forward to running more, its a great contrast from 5e

[mackenheimer]

I'd also highly recommend Forbidden Lands by Free League Games. Good grim dark fantasy setting. Easy rules, with a decent amount of crunch. Great for an exploration West Marches style game.

[MadDogRyan]

I don't know why but the line the Death Bringer said about finding true love being the greatest fantasy of all has me on the floor laughing

[jstuckey]

Maybe it’s time for deathbringer to do a review. It seems like he needs to review good society, the Jane Austen rpg.

[PulpHerb]

I was excited to hear RQ and WHFRP make it. For a moment I thought nothing prior to the mid-90s would show up. I should have expected the latter given how often your reference it.

In addition to the RQ versions you named I'd suggest including Mythras, which is just RQ6 rebranded after a license change, and Legend by Mongoose games (same for RQ5). Legend is every inexpensive on DTRPG. They are both more generic and Mythras has a supplement meant to emulate the D&D style of play (as does BRP). In addition, if you can find them, MQ provided RQ setting material for both another Moorcock hero, Hawkmoon, and an earlier part of Glorantha's history.

Finally, if I can be so bold, I'd like to add one and a half additional honorable mentions:

The Fantasy Trip and GURPS (the half). The Fantasy Trip is the original RPG by Steve Jackson, the creator of Munchkin. It is a straightforward D6 only system that uses a hex grid for tactical combat and has two mini-games, Melee and Wizards, for dueling between fighters and wizards respectively. After not having the rights for 30 years it came back in print in a huge KS and has regular support from both SJG and third parties.

GURPS is another universal system (Generic Universal Roleplaying) that Steve Jackson created when he didn't have the rights to TFT. They are clear cousins but different enough to not be the same system. GURPS is massive, but a version with fewer options and character templates for D&D style fantasy, Dungeon Fantasy RPG, is available and you can use it to spring into the entire generic system, adding elements from the larger library (although you'll need the two GURPS core books at some point if you do that. There are a few small inconsistencies from tweeking the generic to the specific, but there is plenty of help in the books and online to help you adapt.

The GURPS basic set is massive, as is the library, so the GM has to figure out what is relevant to a campaign. The thing is, most of that material is options. The core system is at least as simple as D20. Roll 3d6 and get at or below a target, usually one of your skills or stats directly. Modifiers affect the target not the roll.

[vermisgood]

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but when I played Blades in the Dark once, the flashback mechanic broke my immersion so hard that I had my worst moment in a game ever.

[robinblaine]

Awesome list. I have a suggestion for a game to check out: Warhammer, Age of Sigmar- Soulbound. It's also published by Cubicle 7 and presents the world of Warhammer between the original and 40k timelines.

[leemarohn]

First edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is STILL my all-time favorite rpg. The mechanics are amazing. I wish more people were still playing it. It's highly underrated and underplayed.

[Zweihander_RPG]

We are long-time fans and viewers of your channel. Imagine our delight when we saw Zweihander in the video! Thank you so much for the honorable mention.

[pixledriven]

In Savage Worlds it's worth noting that target numbers are normally 4. This is why the larger die size indicates greater ability.

[lastbaumstanding]

Symbaroum has the by far most interesting fantasy setting imho. Fantastic gameplay (though dice stacking is a problem), super fun to build characters and the art is absolutely perfect.